Adele Allen, from Britain, opted for a lotus birth – a practice where the newborn is not separated from the umbilical cord immediately, and instead it is allowed to drop off naturally.
This practice involves leaving the newborn attached to the placenta in order not to ‘traumatise’ them from suddenly losing the blood supply, meaning the mother has to carry around the afterbirth and cord for days after delivery.
And despite being controversial according to some medical experts, the method has advocates from around the globe, and is tipped as giving mother and baby a chance to bond more immediately.
Adele, who wrote a blog piece on mum.me about her experience, explained how she kept the placenta smelling fresh as the days wore on:
“We sprinkled it with a coating of rock salt and rose petals before wrapping in muslin cloths which were changed every few days. For easy transport, the placenta was then placed into a hand-held cooler bag which kept everything clean,” she wrote.
In the post entitled ‘I kept my baby attached to her umbilical cord for 6 days’, Adele explained that the benefits of lotus births are the same “physical benefits as delayed cord clamping, including ensuring your baby receives the full 30-50 percent remainder of their blood supply.”
She continues to list the emotional and physical benefits of the practice, which include the baby receiving vital stem cells – which can reduce their chances of anaemia and of getting other potential diseases.
But what do the experts say?
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued a warning against lotus births in 2008, saying that it can cause infection or even blood clots in the newborn. They added that once the baby is born, their circulatory system changes, and they no longer have any use for the placenta.
Despite this though, many women still opt for this type of birth, with plenty of literature available on the subject. To find out more, take a look at lotusbirth online.
Words: Ellie Hooper
